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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Veteran Signatures Germany L to P  Lange, Heinz |
Major Heinz Lange
At the outbreak of war Heinz Lange was with I./JG21 scoring his first victory in October 1939. He flew 76 missions in the Battle of Britain with 8./JG54, and never lost a wingman. After flying in the Balkan campaign he took part in the invasion of Russia, scoring 7 victories during the first week. In October 1941 he was given command of 1./JG54 and in 1942 command of 3./JG51. In January 1944 Heinz Lange returned to JG54 to command 1.Gruppe and then back to JG51 where he was appointed Kommodore of JG51 Molders, leading IV./JG51 at the same time. Heinz Lange flew over 628 missions and achieved 70 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross. Born 2nd October 1917, died 26th February 2006.
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| Knights Cross |
| Major Heinz Lange - Signed Aviation Art |
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Messerschmitt versus Messerschmitt by David Pentland. Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 6th April 1941. While escorting Stukas at the start of the German Balkan campaign, the Me109Es of JG54 were engaged by Me109Es of the Yugoslav air force. During the ensuing melee, ObLt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed his 20th victory. |
Fw190A-4, Winter 1944 by Ivan Berryman. The Fw190A-4 was introduced in July 1942, and was equipped with the same engine and basic armament as the A-3. A total of 976 A-4s were built between June 1942 and March 1943. Some of the most successful fighter aces of the Luftwaffe flew the Fw190. Otto Kittel scored 267 vicotries, Erich Rudorffer claimed 222 kills, and Walter Nowotny 258 victories. The majority of their kills were scored while flying the Fw190. |
Clipped Signature - Heinz Lange. A Luftwaffe fighter pilot from the beginning of WW2 to the end. Flew with JG21, JG54 and JG51, scoring 70 victories in more than 600 missions. He died in 2006. |
Hans-Ekkehard Bob, Bf109F by Ivan Berryman. No text for this item |
Bomber's Bane by David Pentland. Ostrov, Latvia, 6th July 1941. Tasked with supporting the advancing German ground forces through Latvia, the fighters of 9th Staffel JG54 were kept busy keeping the Red Airforce at bay. On this occasion Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob, downed 3 Tupolev SB-2 bombers during a single sortie. His 27th, 28th and 29th victories. |
Messerschmitt Country by Nicolas Trudgian Nobody, least of all Allied aircrew, ever doubted the tenacity of the Luftwaffe, more particularly that of the German fighter pilots. From the early encounters during the Battle of Britain to the greeat air battles in defence of their homeland late in the war, at all times they were held in high regard, even if resented as a foe. At no time was their dedication, determination, and courage better demonstrated than during the final stages of World War Two. By the summer of 1944 the Allies had gained a foothold in Normandy, and total air superiority above northern France. German installations and ground positions were being pounded daily from the air, and the Ruhr, the heartland of industrial Germany, was under constant siege. Even the factories in southern Germany were not safe from the attentions of the USAAF bombers by day, and the RAF by night. But in spite of the pressures of mounting losses and diminished supplies, the Luftwaffe fought doggedly on in best traditions of the fighter pilot. The morning of 19th July 1944 saw the USAAFs 8th and 15th Air Forces mount an attack of awesome proportion against the aircraft factories in the region of Munich. To combat a seemingly overwhelming force of 1400 bombers and almost as many fighter escorts, the Luftwaffe were able to put up just three Gruppen from JG300 and one from JG302, flying a mix of Me109Gs and Fw190s - barely 50 serviceable fighters between them. They were joined by a dozen Me109s of II./JG27, these fighters desperately trying to defend the very factories in which they were made. |
Hunting Sturmoviks by David Pentland. Riga, Latvia, 30th June 1944. Recently promoted Leutnant Otto Bruno Kittel. of 3 Staffel, JG54, chases his quarry at treetop level during a late evening sortie. The downing of this flying tank brought his tally on this day to 4, a Yak, a P39 and two Sturmoviks. Although not well known, Kittel was the fourth highest ranking ace, with 267 victories to his credit, including some 94 of the dreaded Sturmoviks. |
New Enemy by David Pentland. Kedainiai, Lithuania, 23rd June 1941. Taking part in the opening days of Operation Barbarossa, Hans-Ekkehard Bob recorded his first victory in Russian airspace - a Tupolev SB-2 twin-engined bomber. During this combat action his Me 109F2 was hit by return fire, resulting in a forced landing behind enemy lines. He evaded capture and returned to his unit 2 days later. This was his 22nd victory. |
Assault on the Capital by Robert Taylor Robert Taylors final painting in his 60th Anniversary trilogy features a scene from the attacks on the afternoon of September 7, 1940. Led by Herbert Ihlefeld, Me109Es of II/LG 2 dive through the bomber formation giving chase to Hurricanes of 242 Squadron as Ju88s of KG30, having unloaded their bombs, head for home. One Ju88 has been hit and is already losing height, and will not return. Following behind He111s of KG53 try to keep formation as they fly through flak. The sky is alive with action. |
Victory Above Dover by Ivan Berryman. Adolf Galland claimed his 16th victory on the afternoon of 25th July 1940 when Spitfires of 54 Sqn were bounced by Messerschmitt Bf.109s of Gallands III/JG26. A fierce battle ensued off Dover during which F/Lt Basil Wonky Way, flying R6707, found himself the subject of the great German aces attention, his stricken aircraft being observed to plunge into the sea after receiving numerous hits from the Bf.109s guns. F/Lt Way lost his life in the crash, presumed drowned. |
Ikarus Downed by David Pentland. Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 9th April 1941. An afternoon raid by III/Jg54 developed into a massive dogfight between the Greenhearts Me109Es and a squadron of Hurricanes and Ik3s. At the conclusion of the dogfight the Lufftwaffe had downed 3 aircraft, for the loss of 2 of their own. Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob, claimed one of the indigenous Ik3 Ikarus fighters as his 21st victory. |
Fighter General by Graeme Lothian. Fighter general shows Dolfo Galland leading a schwarm of BF109s out low at tree top height over the Kent countryside after doing battle with spitfires, during the last week of August 1940. This remarkable pilot was awarded the Knights Cross as a Major on the 15th August. His daring and leadership won the hearts of his men and respect from RAF Pilots. The Oak leaves was awarded on the 23rd September 1940 and crossed Swords in June 1941 after 69 victories. At the end of 1941 at age only 29 he was promoted Inspector General of the Fighter Arm. Leaving his post as Kommodore JG26 to Gerhard Schoepfel he was awarded the Diamonds to the Knights Cross in January 1942 at Oberst. As the youngest General in the German High Command he held this post until 1944, after open disagreements with Goring let to his dismissal. Reverting to combat flying he formed, with Steinhoff, the legendary JV-44, flying the ME262 jet fighter. His score by wars end stood at 104 all on the western Front. he was the only General to lead a squadron into battle. |
Mountain Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian Set in a spectacular mountain scene, Nicolas Trudgians print records the last days of air combat as World War II drew to a close. The most feared of the Luftwaffes remaining units were those equipped with the remarkable Me262 fighter jet, but they were vulnerable to attack during take-off and landing. Commanding JV-44, General Galland countered the threat by employing Fw190 Dora 9s to fly top cover. Nicolas Trudgians painting depicts the colourful Fw190 of Hptm Waldermar Wubke of JV-44 as he prepared to scramble Red Three at Ainring airfield in may 1945. Published 2000. Signed by two Luftwaffe Knights Cross holders who flew the Fw190D-9 operationally during World War II. |
Ltn. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of JG21 Becomes an Ace by Ivan Berryman. Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob is shown claiming his 5th victory - a Blenheim - 60km west of Rotterdam on 26th June 1940. Bob went on to serve with JG.54, JG.51, JG.3, EJG2.2 and JV.44, scoring a total of 60 confirmed victories in the course of his Luftwaffe service. The Blenheim claimed as his 5th victory is likely to have been R3776 of No.110 Squadron, which was the only Blenheim recorded to have been lost participating in Operation Soest on that day - while another returned to base damaged and crash landed. The three crew of the Blenheim were all missing in action - P/O Cyril Ray Worboys, Sgt Gerald Patterson Gainsford and Sgt Kenneth Cooper. |
Hans-Ekkehard Bob - No.2 by Ivan Berryman. On the afternoon of 24th May 1940, Hans-Ekkehard Bob claimed his second victory of the war, shooting down a French Dewoitine 520 fighter in his Me109 of 3./JG21. |
Evening Reflection by Richard Taylor. With soft evening sunlight radiant behind them, Hauptmann Wolfgang Ewald, Gruppenkommandeur of 1./JG52, leads a schwarm of Bf109s back to their base near Calais after another hectic encounter with pilots of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, September 1940. This evocative new painting pays a fitting tribute to the Luftwaffe pilots that fought during this crucial period in history. |
Valiant Response by Robert Taylor. The Spitfires of 54 Squadron, quickly scrambled from nearby Hornchurch, clash with the Me109s from 1./JG51 over Kent. Below, Me110s from KPRG210 are about to receive unwelcome attention as the rest of the Spitfires hurtle down upon them and in the distance, a group of Hurricanes rip through a dense formation of Do17s from KG76 as they struggle back to France. What clouds there are will be unlikely to give much sanctuary and, for the onlookers on the ground far below, the skies will soon be filled with weaving trails of smoke and debris. For nearly a week the Luftwaffe had thrown everything they had into the attack on southern England in order to annihilate RAF Fighter Command, in preparation for Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain. And, heavily outnumbered, the young RAF Spitfire and Hurricane pilots of Fighter Command had so far repelled them, at a cost. But on Sunday 18 August 1940, the Germans launched the heaviest formations of aircraft seen in the battle so far. This was to be a grinding day of relentless assaults on the airfields of southern England, the hardest day of the Battle of Britain. |
Breaking Cover by Robert Taylor. Concealed in the woods of northern France, Fw190 pilots break cover ready for a quick take-off to intercept Allied bombers in the summer of 1944. One of the great fighters of World War II, the Fw190 for a time came to dominate the war-torn skies of Europe and was flown by many of the Luftwaffe's great Aces. |
Gathering Storm by Robert Taylor. During the early part of 1943 the B-17s of the American Eighth Air Force were paying regular visits to the occupied ports on the west coast of France. It was here at Brest, St Nazaire and Lorient that the U-boats were serviced and made ready for their deadly trade in the Atlantic. The area was heavily defended by flak batteries, but it was the notorious fighter interceptors of JG-2 that the bomber crews feared most. Equipped with the outstanding and still comparatively new Fw190, the Luftwaffe pilots achieved startling successes against the still inexperienced USAAF units. As the Allied bomber offensive got properly underway in 1943 the Fw190 quickly established a fearsome reputation, and became the mainstay of the German defence. This beautifully proportioned, aesthetically appealing single seat fighter immediately displayed the hallmarks of a thoroughbred, and within six months of its operational debut in 1941 was causing consternation amongst the RAF fighter squadrons based in southern England. The Fw190 could outperform the Spitfire in every manoeuvre except the turn, and could even leave the new MkIX Spitfires standing in a half-roll and dive. It came close to perfection by the fighter aircraft standards of the day. The painting depicts a group of Fw190A-3 and Fw190A-4 fighters as they climb out over Theville to intercept an incoming armada of B-17 Fortresses en-route to bomb the submarine pens at Lorient. Pilots in their high visibility cockpits gun their massive BMW radial engines as they power upwards through the turbulent air. Within minutes drop tanks will be jettisoned and battle joined. Spoiling for a fight, they present the B-17s with an awesome reception committee. |
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Heinz Lange signing the print - Fighter General - by Graeme Lothian |
Heinz Lange with a model of his favourite aircraft. |
| Major Heinz Lange Aircraft details |
 Fw190 Manufacturer : Fokke-Wulf | Fw190 The Focke-Wulf 190 development project began in 1937. Conceived as a hedge against total dependence on the Messerchmitt 109, the 190 was designed by Kurt Tank utilizing a radial engine. This was against generally accepted design criteria in Germany, and many historians believe that the decision to produce a radial engine fighter was largely due to the limited manufacturing capacity for in-line, water-cooled engines which were widely used on all other Luftwaffe aircraft. Despite these concerns, Tanks design was brilliant, and the 190 would become one of the top fighter aircraft of WWII. The first prototype flew in mid-1939. The aircraft had excellent flying characteristics, a wonderful rate of acceleration, and was heavily armed. By late 1940 the new fighter was ordered into production. Nicknamed the butcher bird, by Luftwaffe pilots, early 190s were quite successful in the bomber interceptor role, but at this stage of the war many Allied bombing raids lacked fighter escort. As the war dragged on, Allied bombers were increasingly accompanied by fighters, including the very effective P-51 Mustang. The Allies learned from experience that the 190s performance fell off sharply at altitudes above 20,000 feet. As a result, most Allied bombing missions were shifted to higher altitudes when fighter opposition was likely. Kurt Tank had recognized this shortcoming and began working on a high-altitude version of the 190 utilizing an in-line, water-cooled engine. Utilizing a Jumo 12-cylinder engine rated at 1770-HP, and capable of 2,240-HP for short bursts with its methanol injection system, the 190D, or Long Nose or Dora as it was called, had a top speed of 426-MPH at 22,000 feet. Armament was improved with two fuselage and two wing mounted 20mm cannon. To accommodate the changes in power plants the Dora had a longer, more streamlined fuselage, with 24 inches added to the nose, and an additional 19 inches added aft of the cockpit to compensate for the altered center of gravity. By mid 1944 the Dora began to reach fighter squadrons in quantity. Although the aircraft had all the right attributes to serve admirably in the high altitude interceptor role, it was not generally focused on such missions. Instead many 190Ds were assigned to protect airfields where Me-262 jet fighters were based. This was due to the latter aircrafts extreme vulnerability to Allied attack during takeoff and landing. The 190Ds also played a major role in Operation Bodenplatte, the New Years Day raid in 1945 which destroyed approximately 500 Allied aircraft on the ground. The High Command was impressed with the 190Ds record on this raid, and ordered most future production of the Doras to be equipped as fighter-bombers. In retrospect this was a strategic error, and this capable aircraft was not fully utilized in the role for which it was intended. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major Heinz Lange Squadron details |
JG132 Country : Germany Became Stab./JG26 on 1st May 1939. | JG132 'Richthofen' Formed 1st April 1936 in Döberitz. Until 1st November 1938, JG132 carried the traditional name Richthofen. On 1st November 1938 redesignated Stab/JG131. Reformed 1st November 1938 in Düsseldorf. On 1st May 1939 redesignated Stab/JG26. From 1st April 1936, the squadron flew He51s and Bf109s (B and D) from Döberitz. From 1st November 1938 to 1st May 1939 the squadron flew Bf109 (D and E) from Düsseldorf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JG21 Country : Germany | JG21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JG234 Country : Germany | JG234 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JG26 Country : Germany | JG26 Jagdgeschwader 26 Schlageter was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated mainly in Western Europe against Great Britain, France and the United States but also saw service against Russia. It was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a World War I veteran and Freikorps member arrested and executed by the French for sabotage in 1923. Commanders of II. Gruppe JG 26 Hptm. Werner Palm, 1 May 1939 – 27 June 1939 Hptm Herwig Knüppel, 28 June 1939 – 19 May 1940 Hptm Karl Ebbighausen, 20 May 1940 – 31 May 1940 Hptm. Erich Noack, 1 June 1940 – 24 July 1940 Hptm Karl Ebbighausen, 25 July 1940 – 16 August 1940 Hptm Erich Bode, 17 August 1940 – 3.10.40 Hptm Walter Adolph, 4 October 1940 – 18 September 1941 Hptm Joachim Müncheberg, 19 September 1941 – 21 July 1942 Hptm Conny Meyer, 22 July 1942 – 2 January 1943 Maj Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland, 3 January 43 – 17 August 1943 Hptm Hans Naumann, 18 August 1943 – 8 September 1943 ObLt Johannes Seifert, 9 September 1943 – 25 November 1943 Maj Wilhelm Gäth, 26 November 1943 – 1 March 1944 Hptm Hans Naumann, 2 March 1944 – 28 June 1944 Hptm Emil Lang, 29 June 1944 – 3 September 1944 Hptm Georg-Peter Eder, 4 September 1944 – 8 October 1944 Maj Anton Hackl, 9 October 1944 – 29 January 45 ObLt Waldemar Radener, 30 January 1945 – 22 February 1945 Hptm Paul Schauder, 23 February 1945 – 1 May 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JG51 Country : Germany | JG51 Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders in 1942. JG 51's pilots won more Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes than any other Jagdgeschwader, and flew combat from 1939 in all major theatres of war. Flying Bf 109s and then FW 190s, the wing claimed over 8,000 air victories. Experten included 'Toni' Hafner, Heinz Bär, Richard Leppla, Karl-Gottfried Nordmann, Günther Schack and the legendary Mölders. Formed in August 1939, and commanded by 48-year-old World War I ace Onkel Theo Osterkamp, the early months of the war JG 51 was based in the West, fighting in the French campaign, and in the Battle of Britain. From late June to mid July JG 51 was the only fighter Geschwader engaged against the RAF constantly. During the whole battle JG 51 lost 68 pilots, the highest casualty rate of the Luftwaffe fighter units engaged. JG 51 was one of the two Geschewader that had four Gruppen. The other being JG 1. Four Bf 109 of JG 51 in France 1940Whilst based out of the Belgian airfield at Mardyik in late 1940, the German ace Josef "Pips" Priller was a Staffelkapitän with JG 51, flying Bf 109-E "Yellow One". Josef Priller went on to score over 100 victories, the third highest scoring Luftwaffe day fighter ace on the Western Front, fighting solely against the Western Allies. Against the Western Allies JG 51 had claimed 345 aircraft destroyed by May 1941. JG 51 were therefore one of the Jagdwaffe's elite units, with 'top ten' aces at this time including Werner Mölders with 68 claims, Walter Oesau with 34 claims, and Hermann-Friedrich Joppien with 31. Major Werner Mölders became unit Geschwaderkommodore during July 1940 and led the unit into the invasion of Russia in June 1941. Barbarossa (1941) Claiming 69 kills on the first day of the offensive, by 30 June 1941 JG 51 became the first fighter Geschwader to claim 1,000 air victories (113 kills in 157 sorties were claimed for the day). On 24 June JG 51 claimed 57 bombers shot down for the day. Mölders became the first fighter pilot to reach 100 claims in August and in the same month JG 51's Oberfeldwebel Heinz Bär reached 60 claims and was decorated with the Oak Leaves. A total of 500 Soviet claims was reached on 12 July 1941, although 6 pilots had been lost by JG 51 in the intervening 3 weeks since the offensive had started. After Mölders' departure in September 1941 (and death later that year) the Geschwader adopted his name as a title of honor in early 1942. Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders was to remain on the centre sector of the Russian front throughout the rest of 1941. However Oberstleutnant Friedrich Beckh ( one of the few fighter pilots to wear spectacles) proved an uncharismatic commander after Mölders, and it was not until Major Karl-Gottfried Nordmann took over in April 1942 that a worthy successor to Mölders was found. In the period 22 June - 5 December 1941 the unit destroyed 1,881 Soviet aircraft, in return for 84 losses in aerial combat and a single aircraft on the ground. Air support for the Wehrmacht's Army Group Centre was entrusted to General Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen's VIII. Fliegerkorps. In early January 1942, among the fighter units available to von Richthofen were II, III and IV/ JG 51. With the onset of the sub-zero conditions of the Russian winter, the majority of JG 51's available aircraft became grounded. The Russian winter counter offensive forced III./ JG 51 into flying numerous fighter-bomber operations in direct support of the infantry, and the gruppe filed few aerial 'kill' claims through January 1942. II./ JG 51 however, accounted for most of VIII. Fliegerkorps's aerial victories during the Soviet offensive. Particularly successful was the duo of Lt. Hans Strelow and Ofw. Wilhelm Mink, both of 5. JG 51. They claimed five MiG-3s of 16 IAP on 4 January (Mink claimed three) and 9 days later Mink claimed a Pe-2 and Strelow destroyed two R-Z biplanes for his 30th and 31st victories. On 4 February, Strelow increased his victories to 36 by shooting down four Russian aircraft. The 19 year-old Strelow claimed his 40th victory on 28 February and claimed 4 victories on both 6 March and 17 March. The next day he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes and also shot down seven Soviet aircraft. He was awarded the Eichenlaub on 24 March, his claims total at 66. Normandy (1944) 7./JG 51, (with Bf 109G-6's) was attached to II./JG 1 in May 1944 from Brest-Litovsk, with pilots arriving at Störmede late in May and hurriedly converting to the FW-190. (It was later renamed 8./JG 1 on 15 August 1944 when the four-Staffeln Gruppe became standard) 7. Staffel was led by Ritterkreuzträger (Knight's Cross winner) Hptm. Karl-Heinz Weber with 136 confirmed kills. Its two other experten were Lt. Friedrich Krakowitzer (23 kills) and Ofhr. Günther Heckmann with 12 kills. 7./JG 51 joined II. Gruppe with 15 pilots on strength at the end of May, and during the first two months of the Normandy campaign the staffel was decimated, with twelve pilots killed, one POW and one severely wounded. As the war turned against Germany JG 51 was forced to operate closer and closer to Germany, finally staging out of East Prussia. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JG54 Country : Germany | JG54 I./JG 54 was initially formed as I./JG 70 near Nuremberg in July 1939, just two short months before hostilities broke out. As was to become tradition within Grunherzgeschwader, the Gruppe took the Nurember coat-of-arms (a veritcally divided shield with a black heraldic bird on the left, and red and white diagonal stripes on the right) to represent the region the unit came from. On September 15, 1939, I./JG 70 was redesignated I./JG 54 The initial unit designation for II./JG 54 was I./JG 138. This unit was raised in 1938 after the Austrian annexation. Naturally many Austrian nationals were recruited when I./JG 138 was formed. The Aspern coat of arms (black lion's head surmounting a white cross on a red field) was taken by the Gruppe for its identity. I./JG 138 was briefly designated I./JG 76 before finally becoming II./JG 54 on April 6, 1940. The III./JG 54 has its roots in Prussia. Initially I./JG 21, the members were drawn from the Jesau region in Prussia. The modified Jesau coat-of-arms (a shield with a Jesau cross with three diving aircraft on a red background, with a white outline on the shield) was adopted as the Gruppe's own. On July 15, 1939, I./JG 21 was redesignated III./JG 54. However, the bureaucratic nature of the young Luftwaffe was such that it was over a year before records would reflect the new designation. Consequently, III./JG 54 fought in Poland and France as I./JG 21. Kommodoren of JG 54 : Major Martin Mettig; 2 Feb 40 to 25 Aug 40. Oberst Hannes Trautloft; 25 Aug 40 to 5 Jul 43. Major Hubertus von Bonin; 6 Jul 43 to 15 Dec 43. Oberstleutnant Anton Mader; 28 Jan 44 to Sep 44. Oberst Dieter Hrabak; 1 Oct 44 to 8 May 45. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Known Victory Claims - Heinz Lange | |||||||
DATE | PILOT | UNIT | JG | CLAIMED | LOCATION | TIME | FRONT |
| 30/10/1939 | Ltn. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 21 | Blenheim | Gross-Bersen/Emsland | 12.5 | Western Front |
| 30/06/1941 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 8 | JG 54 | DB-3 | Dünaburg | 14.48 | Eastern Front |
| 30/06/1941 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 8 | JG 54 | DB-3 | Dünaburg | 14.53 | Eastern Front |
| 05/07/1941 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 8 | JG 54 | DB-3 | Ostrow | 12.3 | Eastern Front |
| 05/07/1941 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 8 | JG 54 | DB-3 | Ostrow | 12.32 | Eastern Front |
| 29/07/1941 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 8 | JG 54 | SB-3 | SSW Staraja-Russa | 15.45 | Eastern Front |
| 02/08/1941 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 8 | JG 54 | I-18 | Ilmensee | 18.4 | Eastern Front |
| 23/09/1941 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 8 | JG 54 | I-18 | Leningrad | 11 | Eastern Front |
| 07/10/1941 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | MBR-2 | Oranienbaum | 16.4 | Eastern Front |
| 06/11/1941 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | I-26 | Tichwin | - | Eastern Front |
| 03/02/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | I-18 | - | 14.27 | Eastern Front |
| 03/02/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | I-18 | - | 14.27 | Eastern Front |
| 06/02/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | R-5 | - | 14.1 | Eastern Front |
| 06/02/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | R-5 | - | 14.1 | Eastern Front |
| 14/03/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | Il-2 | - | 16.17 | Eastern Front |
| 01/05/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | MiG-3 | 19 28: 3500m | 16.27 | Eastern Front |
| 15/05/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | Jak-1 | - | 10.51 | Eastern Front |
| 07/08/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | Jak-1 | 20 522: 900m | 12.22 | Eastern Front |
| 07/08/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | Jak-1 | 20 5223: 900m | 12.22 | Eastern Front |
| 23/08/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | Il-2 | 47 592: 50m | 9.27 | Eastern Front |
| 29/08/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | I-16 Rata | 10 142: 1700m | 7.02 | Eastern Front |
| 30/09/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 1 | JG 54 | I-16 Rata | 00 264: 2100m | 10.27 | Eastern Front |
| 17/12/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2 | NE Syberplowka: 1200m | 13.44 | Eastern Front |
| 17/12/1942 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2 | NE Syberplowka: 900m | 13.46 | Eastern Front |
| 07/01/1943 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2 | 07 683: 600m | 8.01 | Eastern Front |
| 17/01/1943 | Oblt. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 54 | MiG-3 | 07 754: 1800m | 11.15 | Eastern Front |
| 24/02/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | MiG-3 | 54 283: 800m | 7.35 | Eastern Front |
| 11/05/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | LaGG-3 | 63 521: 1800m | 13.34 | Eastern Front |
| 28/05/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | I-153 | 64 353: 1000m | 8.11 | Eastern Front |
| 10/06/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | 44 383: tiefflug | 19.28 | Eastern Front |
| 05/07/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Jak-1 | 63 613: 2500m | 15.55 | Eastern Front |
| 11/07/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | LaGG-5 | 63 611: 2200m | 17.27 | Eastern Front |
| 12/07/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | 63 239: 500m | 5.55 | Eastern Front |
| 12/07/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2 | 64 896: 700m | 6.02 | Eastern Front |
| 15/08/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | 51 846 [SE Bogoduchoff]: 800m | 13.29 | Eastern Front |
| 17/08/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2 | 41 631: 500m | 9.45 | Eastern Front |
| 18/08/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2 | 60 187: 600m | 7.41 | Eastern Front |
| 18/08/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Pe-2 | SSE Charkov: 3000m | 10.05 | Eastern Front |
| 26/08/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2 | W. Charkov: 500m | 15.1 | Eastern Front |
| 31/08/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | LaGG-5 | SE Yelnya: 2500m | 17.44 | Eastern Front |
| 31/08/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | LaGG-5 | 35 388: 2000m | 17.58 | Eastern Front |
| 05/09/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | LaGG-3 | N. Smolensk: 3800m | 6.25 | Eastern Front |
| 06/09/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | LaGG-3 | S. Yelnya: 3000m | 17.56 | Eastern Front |
| 06/09/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Boston III | W. Novgorod: 6000m | 15.37 | Eastern Front |
| 14/09/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Pe-2 | NW Yelnya: 1300m | 7.17 | Eastern Front |
| 20/09/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Jak-9 | SE Smolensk: 4000m | 15.3 | Eastern Front |
| 26/09/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Jak-9 | Smolensk: 5200m | 12.31 | Eastern Front |
| 21/10/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Jak-9 | Loyev: 4000m | 13.44 | Eastern Front |
| 22/10/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Pe-2 | 5km E. Loyev: 1200m | 12.01 | Eastern Front |
| 29/10/1943 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | E. Dubrovno: 30m | 14.07 | Eastern Front |
| 01/01/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | S. Vitebsk: 200m | 13.57 | Eastern Front |
| 01/01/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | S. Vitebsk: 100m | 13.55 | Eastern Front |
| 01/01/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | S. Vitebsk: 200m | 13.57 | Eastern Front |
| 04/01/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab I. | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | W. Vitebsk: 600m | 11.48 | Eastern Front |
| 04/01/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab I. | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | W. Vitebsk: 300m | 11.57 | Eastern Front |
| 04/01/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab I. | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | W. Vitebsk: 200m | 12 | Eastern Front |
| 06/01/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | 3 | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | 05 193: tiefflug | 9.59 | Eastern Front |
| 29/06/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | LaGG-5 | 95 748: 4000m | 10.12 | Eastern Front |
| 24/07/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab III. | JG 51 | Airacobra | 21 845: 400m | 13.37 | Eastern Front |
| 31/07/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab II. | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | 45 141: 600m | 11.48 | Eastern Front |
| 17/08/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | Jak-9 | 36 346: 300m | 11.02 | Eastern Front |
| 29/08/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | Jak-9 | 13 518: 1800m | 9.53 | Eastern Front |
| 05/09/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | LaGG-5 | 13 368: 1500m | 9.5 | Eastern Front |
| 07/10/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | Boston | 13 318: 2000m | 13.24 | Eastern Front |
| 07/10/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | Boston | 03 468: 3500m | 15.56 | Eastern Front |
| 07/10/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | Boston | 03 468: 3200m | 15.58 | Eastern Front |
| 10/10/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | 13 545: tiefflug | 15.25 | Eastern Front |
| 15/10/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | Jak-7 | 13 573: 800m | 11.11 | Eastern Front |
| 15/10/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | Il-2mH. | 13 544: 400m | 11.44 | Eastern Front |
| 16/10/1944 | Hptm. Heinz Lange | Stab IV. | JG 51 | Jak-9 | 13 179: 700m | 14.5 | Eastern Front |
Known Claims : 70
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